Healthy Eating Week - 12th-16th June

Focus on fibre

Fibre is a key element of a healthy diet as it's so good for us! High-fibre diets have been linked to many health improvements including better weight control, improved digestive health, reduced risk of heart disease and even improved mood.

Healthy eating guidelines recommend we all aim to eat at least 30g fibre per day. To keep a close eye on your fibre intake, use your Nutracheck diary to track it. To do this, tap on the nutrient name at the top of one of your nutrient columns within your diary, and select FIBg from the dropdown list.

Great sources of fibre include wholegrains, wholemeal versions of bread and pasta, oats, pulses, fruits, vegetables – and the great news is, these foods don't have to be super expensive. Opt for supermarket own-brands of bread, pasta, rice and oats, choose tinned pulses, and tinned or frozen fruit and veg to help them last longer.

For more on fibre, read our blog articles here:

1. The Nutracheck nutrient guide to: fibre
2. 5 filling high-fibre recipes
3. Simple fibre swaps
4. What does 30g fibre look like?
5. 5 fast fibre fixes

Get your 5-a-day

Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is an essential part of a healthy diet. These foods are rich in important vitamins and minerals vital for health. We should all aim to have at least 5 portions per day of either fresh varieties, frozen, tinned or dried.

For more on reaching your 5-a-day, read our blog articles here:

1. Recipes to hit your 5-a-day
2. Crafty ways to get your 5-a-day
3. 10 easy ways to get your 5-a-day
4. Couch potato to 5-a-day
5. 5-a-day rainbows – get colourful

Vary your protein

As well as fibre, fruit and vegetables, protein is essential in our diet. Our body uses it for a vast array of functions, from making new cells, to creating hormones and maintaining muscle tissue. Protein should be present at every meal to ensure we're getting enough across the day to support the healthy functioning of our body.

The good news is protein is present in various different foods, some animal-based and some plant-based, so whatever diet you choose you can ensure you get enough. Some plant-based options of protein can be more affordable than meat and fish, for example beans and lentils. Or why not try some other plant-based options such as tofu or Quorn for more variety? As well as this, look out for offers or reductions on meat and fish options in the supermarket – choosing lean cuts of meat where possible – and freeze any you don't need right away for another day/week.

For more on protein, read our blog articles here:

1. The Nutracheck nutrient guide to: protein
2. 5 protein-packed dinners
3. Protein – which foods have the most?
4. 5 protein-packed plant-based recipes

Stay hydrated

Hydration is another key area of a healthy diet, as the fluid in our body is essential for so many vital processes. We should aim to drink 6-8 glasses of fluid every day to ensure we're well hydrated, but if you're exercising and sweating a lot or in a hot climate, you may need to drink more.

Water is the best and cheapest option, but tea, coffee, and no-added sugar squash count too if you prefer a little more flavour.

For more on staying hydrated, read our blog articles here:

1. Fantastic foods that help your hydration
2. Why is water essential?
3. Flavour your water: 9 natural infusions

Reduce food waste

Focusing on reducing food waste is not only good for the environment, it's great for saving money too. Throwing away food every week is essentially like pouring money down the drain, which nobody wants to do! So try to stay on top of your household foods to avoid things going unused. Plan meals in advance and only buy what you need, or chuck any vegetables nearing their best into a curry or omelette to ensure they don't go to waste.

For more on reducing food waste, read our blog articles here:

1. The benefits of reducing food waste
2. Beat food waste - 9 surprising foods you can freeze
3. 8 ways to reduce household food waste
4. 6 simple tips for eco-friendly eating
5. 9 hacks for keeping your produce fresh